# Does there exist "swap values" for top-coded income variables?

**URL:** <https://forum.ipums.org/t/does-there-exist-swap-values-for-top-coded-income-variables/683>\
**Category:** USA\
**Created:** [October 20, 2014, 8:02pm UTC](https://forum.ipums.org/t/does-there-exist-swap-values-for-top-coded-income-variables/683 "2014-10-20T20:02:00Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Lance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Lance](https://forum.ipums.org/u/Lance)\
**Post date:** [October 20, 2014, 8:02pm UTC](https://forum.ipums.org/t/does-there-exist-swap-values-for-top-coded-income-variables/683/1 "2014-10-20T20:02:00Z")

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Hi,

There exists “swap values” that can be merged with the CPS files in order to replace top-coded income and obtain more accurate measures of income inequality. Is there an equivalent file for the census data? I cannot find a corresponding file for census data.

Thank you very much!

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**Author:** ![Tim\_Moreland](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f1d935/32.png) [@Tim\_Moreland](https://forum.ipums.org/u/Tim_Moreland)\
**Post date:** [October 21, 2014, 7:40pm UTC](https://forum.ipums.org/t/does-there-exist-swap-values-for-top-coded-income-variables/683/2 "2014-10-21T19:40:00Z")

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Unlike the CPS data, the Census data [does not use](http://www.census.gov/acs/www/data_documentation/pums_confidentiality/) the same data swapping method for incomes that exceed the top-coded value. The data is simply [top-coded](https://usa.ipums.org/usa-action/variables/INCWAGE#codes_section). Thus, a similar file does not exist.

Also note that for the ACS samples (starting in 2000), topcodes represent the [state means](https://usa.ipums.org/usa-action/variables/incwage#codes_section) of values exceeding the topcode, which is also state-based. You can find the top-coded values at the [Other Variable Appendices](https://usa.ipums.org/usa/volii/tothvarapp.shtml) page.

Hope this helps.